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On the Research of the Comparative Chemistries of the Defensive Sprays of the Spotted and Striped Skunk

from L'Isola dei Lupi by Bob Drake

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The defensive spray of spilogale putorius (the spotted skunk)
is different from mephitis mephitis (the striped skunk)
in that it does not have the thioacetates,
and also a moderate concentration of 2-phenylethanylthiols.

Clear and limpid fluid
golden or light amber color
its specific gravity is less than water
and humans can detect it at concentrations of
10 parts per billion.

2 major thiols of striped skunk,
isoamyl and crotyl mercaptans,
are also two main components in the spray of
the spotted skunk.

Later research shows the spray of striped skunk
has seven volatile components
in greater that one percent abundance:
three of them are thiols,
three of them thioacetate derivatives of these thiols,
and the final compound has been found to be
an alkaloid: 2 methyl quinoline.

Neutralizing the scent of spray of skunk
necessitates changing of the thiols
into other substances which have little or no odor
which can be accomplished:
oxidizing the thiols into sulfonic acids can easily do this.

credits

from L'Isola dei Lupi, released October 3, 2018
Thanks to Prof. William F. Wood for permission to quote liberally from his "The History of Skunk Defensive Secretion Research".

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Bob Drake Caudeval, France

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